Persons skilled in the art of manufacturing cumene hydroperoxide will recognize undesirable color of the product as a significant problem. The chemical mechanism by which undesirable color forms in the product is not well understood; the color bodies which cause the undesirable color are not readily identified and the factors which cause their formation have not been clearly recognized. It has been difficult to attack the problem without a clear understanding of its nature.
Moreover, the partial successes achieved empirically for color removal, after it has formed, seem to have no application to the prevention of color formation. Color formation can be accelerated by exposure to light and by heat; however, in industrial situations exposure to heat is the main cause of color formation, as light exposure is precluded by normal storage and handling procedures. Heat exposure is relatively commonplace; the ideal solution to the problem therefore is to provide a built-in mechanism to prevent or at least inhibit the formation of color under normal conditions of shipment and storage. The vagaries of the marketplace require protection over a wide range of conditions.